Positive Psychology Interventions in Early-Stage Cognitive Decline Related to Dementia: A Systematic Review of Cognitive and Brain Functioning Outcomes of Mindfulness Interventions.
Dimitra Vasileiou, Despina Moraitou, Konstantinos Diamantaras, Vasileios Papaliagkas, Christos Pezirkianidis, Magda Tsolaki
Brain Sciences May 28, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci15060580 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 669 |
| Population | People with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and mild Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Positive psychology Cognitive decline Early dementia Memory loss Cognitive impairment Brain health Cognitive function Neural health Non-drug therapy Alternative treatment Holistic approach |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | The review reports that mindfulness interventions, including the Mindfulness Awareness Program and Mindfulness Training, may improve specific cognitive functions such as working memory and attention and may influence biological pathways related to cognitive decline. However, the authors state that long-term efficacy has not been demonstrated and results are mixed and unclear, with evidence limited by study heterogeneity and intervention diversity. |
Abstract
Background: Dementia is a global condition affecting over 55 million people. Since there is no treatment, non-pharmacological interventions aim to delay its progression in a safe and cost-effective way. The extant literature suggests that Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) can probably be effective for this purpose. The systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of PPIs as non-pharmacological interventions for mild cognitive decline related to dementia by evaluating their effectiveness in cognitive functions and brain functioning in people with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and mild Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD).
Methods: A comprehensive search conducted in the databases Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect and PsychINFO (December 2024-March 2025) published between 2015 and 2025 to identify records that met inclusion criteria: studies included patients with SCD, MCI and mild AD dementia, implemented PPIs, Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and pre-post intervention studies with measurable outcomes, assess at least one of the following: cognitive functions and brain functioning.
Results: The systematic review included 12 studies (N = 669 participants) that can answer the research question. Only mindfulness interventions were identified. Findings suggest that different types of mindfulness interventions, such as the Mindfulness Awareness Program (MAP) and Mindfulness Training (MT), may be efficient for improving specific cognitive functions (e.g., working memory and attention) and influencing biological pathways related to cognitive decline. However, long-term efficacy has not been demonstrated, and results are mixed and unclear.
Conclusions: Μindfulness interventions seem promising for enhancing cognition and brain functioning in older adults with cognitive decline, although the data is limited. However, limitations such as the heterogeneity of the studies and the diversity of the interventions make it necessary for more systematic and organized research to be conducted on the implementation of such interventions. At the same time, it is proposed to examine the effectiveness of other constructs of positive psychology, such as character strengths (CS).
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 17
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
- Regular, brief mindfulness meditation practice improves electrophysiological markers of attentional control Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- The Neural Mechanisms of Meditative Practices: Novel Approaches for Healthy Aging Current behavioral neuroscience reports October 18, 2016
- Reduced age-associated brain changes in expert meditators: a multimodal neuroimaging pilot study Scientific Reports August 25, 2017
and 12 more in the library